ISTANBUL, May 1 (Reuters) - May Day protesters clashed with riot police in Germany, Turkey and Greece on Friday while thousands angry at the government's responses to the global financial crisis took to the streets in France.

Rising unemployment across Europe and beyond has added intensity to May Day marches as last year's market crash and banking meltdown rolls into the real economy.

There were early morning clashes in Germany and protests in Istanbul swiftly turned violent. Greek police clashed with self-styled anarchists.

An Istanbul police spokesman said 68 demonstrators were detained and 11 police wounded. Leftists and Kurdish separatists regularly clash with police at demonstrations in Turkey and the May Day protest last year also turned violent.

Turkey's government had declared May Day, traditionally marked across Europe and beyond by rallies by labour unions, a public holiday this year under pressure from the unions.

"Those who are here are unemployed and need work," said Mehmet Guleryuz, a film director. "These are students who cannot pay tuition fees. Things are bad everywhere but it hits Turkey hard."

Almost one in three young people in Turkey is without a job and the government fears social unrest and increased ethnic tension because of the downturn. Labour unions, traditionally weak, have become increasingly vocal.

GERMAN CLASHES, FRENCH MARCHES

In Berlin and Hamburg, scattered violence erupted in the early hours of the May Day holiday injuring more than 50 riot police, authorities said. [ID:nL143043]

Some 200 demonstrators chanting anti-capitalism slogans threw bottles and stones at riot police in Berlin, police said, torching five cars. Germany is facing its worst economic crisis since World War Two.

"On the one hand there are people out in the streets protesting peacefully against the economic crisis and there is nothing wrong with that," said police spokesman Frank Miller.

"But when people burn cars and trash containers and commit other criminal acts -- that has nothing to do with political protests."

German police were braced for further violence later when members of far right parties, labour unions and Leftists march.

French unions organised nearly 300 marches targeting President Nicolas Sarkozy's social policies and crisis management, with the opposition Socialist party calling on its members to join the protests for the first time since 2002. [ID:nL1587768]

France's headline jobless total rose to almost 2.5 million in March, 2.7 percent up on the previous month. The number of jobseekers under 25 increased 36 percent year on year. [ID:nLR739225]

In a sign of how far disillusion has spread, even staff in management positions are expected to take part in the marches.

"It is absolutely not in our tradition to protest on May 1, but given the economic context in France and crisis we decided to join in," said Carole Couvert, a leader of the CFE-CGC union for executives.

"It is a first for us because our method is negotiation."

Greek police said they fired tear gas in a clash with 300 people at Athens Polytechnic. [ID:nL1716011]

Elsewhere in Athens, nearly 6,000 protesters, mostly members of a communist trade union, gathered under the watchful eyes of 4,000 police. Many were angry at bank bailouts.

"We won't pay for their crisis," read banners from the country's main trade union GSEE. (Reporting by Reuters bureaux, writing by Peter Apps; editing by Robert Woodward)

-message pour l'autiste (13) "in ten years 1998-2008, the wages of the owners increased 68%, and those of paid 5%

-message pour l'autiste (12) "stop with the disengagement of state" (They don't want to pay for studies or doctor... and me too when i look USA ...)

-message pour l'autiste (11) "to work more to die earlier" (French people got 5 holiday weeks paid every year, They think American people are mad to work too much for nothing more than us ...USA people work for a lot of think less : health insurance for example ..)

-message pour l'autiste (7) "capitalism c' is l' shameless and brutal exploitation of the workers" ( a boss win 1400 time the pay of a worker every month, is his life is 1400 time precious than you're ?)

-message pour l'autiste (6) "moralize capitalism ? not ! it should be destroyed !" (with the crisis you see that the NWO is to save capitalism with your money ...)

-message pour l'autiste (5) "the godfather of the billionaires" (about french president who give billions to save the firms, and his friends )

-message pour l'autiste (4) "not with the selection by money" (money insure : you are not care about law)

-message pour l'autiste (1) "capacity starts again purchase, right to work with good wages, respect of the people having lost their employment, helps for the poor, health and education free for all, we want true information not faked"

you see French n' do not like to let itself make, they want more for everyone. this n' is not by opposing the rich person to the poor, the employees with the unemployed, who we can be able to link us to ask for justice. it is necessary to be plain to be made hear.

aye i love how the police say burning cars or wrecking banks is unacceptable.yet banks stealing trillions is acceptable.not saying i agree with innocent people getting their property damaged.but seems bankers and politicians are above the law!